among sweat, blood, and tears
by malfoyforever
Summary: Drabble 19: "He stays there, staring at himself in the pond, and thinks that maybe some of the things that she said were true." Starring Marauder Era pairings, thirty drabbles, beginning with LuciusNarcissa. Chapter 19 - AndromedaLucius. HIATUS.
1. LuciusNarcissa I

_Pairing: LuciusNarcissa _

**Poison **

"What are _you_ doing here, Black?"

"Remedial Potions, Malfoy," Narcissa sneers at him, "though tell me, _why_ are you looking through Slughorn's poison cabinet?"

He shrugs. "Old Sluggy'll never notice, my dear."

"He notices more than you give credit for," she retorts, raising an eyebrow. "And don't call me 'my dear', it's plain disturbing, and we both know full well that I will _not_ date you. _Or_ marry you. Or _anything_, Malfoy."

"Look," Malfoy leans on the counter. "You kiss me, just once, and I'll tell you why I'm looking through his prized poisons."

She frowns. "Your lips are gross, Malfoy, _so _chapped. Let me fix that."

Narcissa dabs some water from the tap at his lips, and then makes him wipe it on his sleeve. Conscious at the vain boy's obvious discomfort, she smirks.

"That's a yes, Black?" he drawls.

"A quick peck, I don't want to die from the after-effects of snogging you," she replies, pulling him close.

He's actually not a bad kisser, really. And his longish hair smells good, and she notices that his slender arms are slightly muscled.

_Wait. __**What**__? Narcissa Corona Black will not fall for Lucius fucking Malfoy. _

Period. 

"Not bad," Malfoy is the first to speak after they pull back. "Good job, Black."

"Same for you, Malfoy," she smirks. "Now, why-"

He puts a finger to his lips. "Hush. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you why – I have a poison collection, see."

Narcissa gives a wry smile. "Really? That doesn't surprise me. _Please_, enlighten me further."

"They're all fatal," he explains. "However, some make you die quickly... and others make you die a long, painful death." He looks at his box of tiny flasks rather fondly. "I got some of these from my father-"

"As birthday presents?" she says sardonically. "Good father you have, Malfoy."

"Good father _you_ have, Black," he replies calmly, licking his lips. "So. Some of the others, they were from my mother's family – birthday presents also. I collected and brewed the rest especially, and bought a few of those from Knockturn Alley – Borgin and Burkes come in handy, you know."

Her blue eyes slide over to the poisons. As she bends down, she reads the labels. "Agony Brew", "Feu – Guaranteed to Burn your Internal Organs!", "A Taste of Mercy". She crosses her arms, raises an eyebrow at him.

"Malfoy, don't tell me you're _intending_ to use those poisons!"

He shrugs. "I'm a collector, Black, not a murderer. Anyways, I would murder in a more... Slytherin way, don't you think?"

"You're twisted," she remarks. "But you're right. About the second part."

"What?" He sneers. "You don't believe me when I say I'm not a murderer?"

"I _seriously_ doubt you," Narcissa corrects. "Anyone who collects fatal poisons for a hobby cannot be too trustworthy, don't you think?"

With a smile at his annoyed look, she waves at him and departs.

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><p><strong>A little idea I had after writing down random pairings for during the Marauder Era. <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	2. AliceFrank

_Pairing: AliceFrank_

**Worse than dead**

They don't all agree on the fact that death is the worst thing that could happen in this war.

Alice and Frank, however, know that it is true, though.

It breaks her heart that Neville could be made orphan, at any second. Her chest aches when she thinks of him waking up one morning screaming, both of his parents gone, their bodies bloodied – the Dark Mark blasted into the sky.

Frank, he tells her to not worry. He tells her that they're fighting, resisting _him_. Sometimes, sometimes, as she watches her mum rock the wailing Neville, ever so gently, and she assures her "Mum, it's fine – we'll be fine. We'll be careful, don't worry," she curses herself.

She had been thinking, at that instant, about joining Y- Voldemort. Because Malfoy, Malfoy and his wife, they don't need to worry that their spawn will get killed by Voldemort. They don't need to worry that their son will die for being born of the resistance, like little Neville and Harry.

They don't need to worry about anything, except slaying their enemies, playing their twisted games, spreading terror. They don't need to worry about the war, about the fall of the Ministry, of their community falling and becoming their monstrous dream – because that was their goal all along, wasn't it?

But she chases that thought away, that thought about joining Voldemort, because it's not true. _At all_. She thinks of Frank holding her, assuring her that they'll win, Voldemort and his followers will die, and they'll be rewarded and free – he assures her Neville will be able to grow up in peace, unlike them. She thinks of Neville, his chubby fists grabbing her hair, her hands as he gurgles happily – she thinks of her mother and Mrs Longbottom, who believe in them. She thinks of James, Lily, and even little Harry – she thinks of Marlene's spirit looking down at her.

Their world is fragile, but cannot be touched by Voldemort. Their world is fighting, **fighting** against him. Her badger's heart knows it, _believes_ in it.

When he disappears, when the entire Order gathers and celebrate, clink glasses, mourn Lily and James, toast little Harry – Helga bless him, wherever he is, Frank and Alice don't think about the aftermath. They didn't think about four Death Eaters sneaking up on them, torturing them.

Her screams, after a while, are empty. She hears a man's voice calling, but his agony is hollow, like hers. She doesn't remember, and she doesn't miss.

She's worse than dead – it's called insanity.

Alice and Frank Longbottom are now insane.

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><p><strong>I love AliceFrank - they're awesome! I always did feel sorry for them two... Stupid Bellatrix :P This was pretty interesting to write. <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you alerted/favourited! **


	3. BenjyDorcas

_Pairing: BenjyDorcas_

**Still fighting **

She hadn't meant to fall for Benjy Fenwick, really.

He's so _dark_, his hair charcoal, one of his bushy eyebrows always raised in amusement, and his eyes are coffee brown. He always smiles, and his smile is one of the best things ever – better than Sugar Quills and Acid Pops, better than the satisfaction of defying Lord Voldemort.

She watches him, when he bends over a floorplan that Edgar brings from the Ministry, of some known Death Eaters' homes, his hair falling over his eyes, how he sweeps it with a casual move. Minerva McGonagall is always unhappy with her – she sometimes takes Dorcas out after a meeting for a talking-to, about how this isn't a game, about how Benjy is a busy Ministry worker, and doesn't have time for silly little girls like her.

Dorcas never listens, really, maybe because Minerva can be a rather fussy tosspot, and it's wise to not mess with her. Wisdom, she knows – they're all surprised when they hear, but she's Ravenclaw, the bronze and blue girl who can rattle off long passages from her favourite books, who dreams and dreams.

She's also the brave girl, the eagle who bites hard, screeches, fights. She's the fierce eagle with the not-so-blind loyalty, soaring, with dreams in the clouds of picking the Death Eaters off one by one, like they do with the Order.

But Benjy, Benjy, he's the patient lion who should have been a badger, the soothing voice in her nightmares as she feels his gentle touch during their mission together, patrolling Avery's home, breaking protective spells and firing off hexes. He's the boy who was a few years ahead of her, rooming along with his friend Frank Longbottom with the oh-so-famous four – James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

He's the strong arms that she feels around her scrawny shoulders as he staunches her blood, as he whispers incantations that will surely heal her.

Benjy Fenwick is her world, and she knows it. They both know it – the Order suspects – the long nights together in the kitchen, talking about not-so-important matters, sharing tea in the morning, a shoulder for Dorcas to rest on when she's weary of this life, spying, resisting, fighting.

When he leaves for his last mission, his last mission on this Earth – Dorcas is angry with him. She yells, he frowns and bides her goodbye, the gallant gentleman without the horse to boot. Benjy doesn't kiss her and Disapparates, without looking back.

Mad-Eye returns with a grim demeanour, his shoulders hunched, and his voice shakes ever so slightly. She's panicked – he's the cool Auror, the hardcore old lion – he never shows emotion. He spews it out: Benjy Fenwick is dead, killed by Death Eaters. He had been cremated, his ashes resting in a vase that Mad-Eye retracts from his cloak.

She takes it, body shaking with grief, and Lily and Alice attempt to comfort her – the little girl with the sparkling eyes who shouldn't see these horrors of war, should be lying in a meadow making daisy necklaces and chasing butterflies, the girl who became their little sister of sorts.

Dorcas Disapparates, appearing in the park Benjy brought her to, a few weeks ago. She takes a shaky breath, opens the lid, and releases the vase's contents. She watches them blow away in the wind, twirling and twirling, and knows this is where he would have wanted to rest. Hell, two days ago he had been speaking about buying a house for themselves, and now he was **gone**.

Gone, gone, _gone_. Dead.

"Don't worry, Benjy," she murmurs, her robes flapping around her ankles as she ignores the Muggles' stares. "I'm still fighting."

Two months later, she's tied up in a stinky old barn, her eyes tearstained as she struggles to resist. She struggles to keep her promise to her lover. She struggles to not break. The Death Eaters leer, spit, throw curses at her – she screams till her throat is raw, but won't let go.

Her Benjy would be glad.

Finally, they get tired of her. She manages to not utter the names of her comrades, to not betray them – Voldemort himself finishes her off, a cruel blast of that damned green light. Her head lolls, and her blue eyes sparkle no more – but a smile is on her lips as her life is snuffed out of her.

_I fought, Benjy. I didn't go easily. You would be proud. _

Benjy Fenwick, looking towards Dorcas Meadowes from beyond the Veil, silently agrees as he strides to embrace his brave, brave girl, the Ravenclaw who went like a true, pure, golden Gryffindor.

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><p><strong>I've never written Dorcas, honestly, or Benjy for the matter, but I think I found myself two favourite characters. The idea of Dorcas being captured by Voldemort and tortured before she dies goes to notwolf, whose "I, Too, Shall Follow", I definitely recommend. I however own my characterisations of Dorcas and Benjy. <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	4. RemusSirius

**Warning: Slight slash, nothing too graphic. **

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><p><em>Pairing: RemusSirius <em>

**Unattainable **

He's unattainable, because he's _Moony_ – soft brown hair, liquid brown eyes he melts for, and the cutest habit of putting his hands in his pockets when he's shy – oh, and did Sirius mention that he was _straight_ and going out with Mary McDonald?

Sirius should be happy, really – should be happy that one of his best friends, one that happens to be a long-time bachelor and a werewolf to boot. Instead, he's jealous, so jealous – it should be him, the one stroking Moony's scars after the full moon, kissing his softsoft lips, running his fingers through his beautiful hair.

The next second, he feels _absolutely_ disgusted. Moony would laugh at him if he said anything – no, Moony is too polite – James would bully him worse than Snivellus. He _has_ to keep it secret.

Sometimes, Sirius takes James's Cloak – takes it and hunts down the prefect and the Muggle-born witch snogging in the hallways. He always watches, feeling like an intruder – because that's what he is, of course.

His heart is heavy, and his friends notice – they often ask what's wrong, why he isn't bullying Snape mercilessly – he shrugs it off. He doesn't want to speak to them, _especially_ not Moony. He's angry, and he doesn't want to admit his heart is breaking.

Remus John Lupin will forever be unattainable, and Sirius's Black genes must accept that.

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><p><strong>Poor Sirius :P He's probably going to appear again. <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	5. RemusMary

_Pairing: RemusMary _

**It was never meant to last **

Somewhere there, Remus knows that it'll never last.

Mary McDonald, she's with Lily and Marlene, in their dorm – a shy, sweet, yet fierce little thing, a ball of fire. She has dirty blonde hair and a smile that Remus dies for, but the best of all is that she doesn't care, at all, if he's a werewolf.

Well, that's also part of the problem. Moony, he always has to have a problem, right? His entire life, even at Hogwarts with his friends, is a big problem. He's a vile, filthy creature of the night, one that relishes in murder.

Instead of providing the security that Mary needs, he poses a danger. Bloody hell, he's a fucking werewolf, for goodness's sake! And she loves him anyways! If he didn't love her so much, he'd declare without hesitation that she's insane.

Really, Remus must convince himself that he's doing the right thing by breaking it off. He's never been good in the domain of romance and breaking it off, that's always been Padfoot and Prongs's specialties. He's forced to watch her as she glares, snaps, yells, and then hexes him.

He's forced to hear her cries as she runs away, to endure the cold, yet hurt looks she sends him for the rest of that year.

Little does Mary McDonald know about Remus often sitting silently in a clean corner in the Owlery after that, his face hidden in his hands as his throat burns with unshed tears.

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><p><strong>Poor Remus. I absolutely adore him :) <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	6. JamesLily

_Pairing: JamesLily _

**Once an arrogant toerag, always an arrogant toerag **

Really, Lily _hates_ James bloody Potter.

No, rephrase: she _loathes_ him with all her fiery heart.

Sure, Severus – Snape – calls her a Mudblood. Her supposed best friend, deeming her as scum. As if that weren't disgusting enough, Potter comes and defends her. He goes and demands that Snape apologize. What the hell is _that_? Does he think she's _that_ incompetent?

She's quite aware of the fact that she may have hurt him, as she hurt Snape by breaking off their friendship, but she doesn't care. Really, he's an arrogant toerag, and the things that she yells at him, she means them all.

However, as she watches him fall from his broom, knocked off by Flint in the sixth year, she suddenly panics. That, she's unfamiliar with. She's never cared so much for a boy that her heart actually thumps hard in her chest as the Slytherin is disqualified. Fuck, she even visits him in the hospital wing the next day.

She's unsure if what she had yelled at him in fifth year was true.

Maybe _not_?

"Ow," grunts a voice. She turns, finds Potter's hazel eyes staring at her. Black chuckles, Lupin smiles tolerantly, and Pettigrew squeaks in relief. Lily remains expressionless; she's hanging back a bit now. They're the four Marauders, and she's _the girl_ – the fiery, loyal Lily, who is supposed to hate the patient she's currently visiting in the hospital wing, when she could be doing her essay for McGonagall.

"Don't leave," Potter pleads, blinking as Lupin wordlessly hands her his glasses. "_Don't_ leave, Lily."

His voice is soft. A year ago, Lily would have left, laughed in his face. Now, she feels sick at doing so.

She likes the way he says her name, the husky undertone to it as he speaks. As she frowns at him, wondering, she notices the way his hair falls over his eyes, remembers the way his eyes sparkle when he's feeling especially mischievous. She remembers the way he smiles when he's laughing with his friends, the way his face lights up when he's talking Quidditch.

She wonders _why_ she hadn't noticed this before.

"Yes," she says, barely moving her lips as she glides forward. "Yeah, I'll stay, James."

Black laughs and Potter's grinning now.

"She called me James!"

"That's your name, is it not?" Lily retorts, furious to feel a blush creeping up her face.

Black pulls at Lupin, and then at Pettigrew. "We'll leave the two lovebirds here," the good-looking boy smirks. "See you round in the common room, Prongs."

She sits into Black's chair once the three others are gone, and James turns his neck to face her.

"You've _finally _fallen for me?" he asks with a cocky look.

Lily shakes her head. "Don't get too excited."

"But you don't hate me anymore?" James seems slightly worried. "You don't think I'm an arrogant toerag anymore?"

She begins laughing, laughing so hard that she's wheezing when she finally manages to control the laughter. James cocks an eyebrow at her, frowning. "You said the wrong thing," she chokes out, tears in her eyes and clutching her aching side. "Once an arrogant toerag, _always_ an arrogant toerag."

Grinning broadly at his outraged look, she doesn't tell him that she finds it exceedingly lovable now.

That can wait for later, can it not?

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><p><strong>Ha. James's just so funny :) <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	7. FabianBellatrix

_Pairing: FabianBellatrix _

**Stupid boy**

When his sister finds out that Bella Black is his new eye candy, Molly is, frankly, most unhappy with him.

She slaps him in front of everyone in the common room (_stupid Molly!_) and threatens to tell Mum and Dad about it.

Fabian hasn't ever been this embarrassed in his entire lifetime.

Gideon, on the other hand, finds it downright _hilarious_ that his twin is crushing on a known Dark witch. When Fabian patiently sits out his mocking, he remarks smartly that Gideon could consider her, and he's proud to say that he got his brother rather interested.

Now that they're two, they set out in back of that statue of Slytherin in front of Bella's common room. Fabian reasons that she will have to come out at some point, and so they wait, Gideon squirming every moment or so.

And she does, strutting in that adorable way of hers (_or so Fabian says_). The Lestrange brothers are flaunting her, as usual, and Fabian definitely feels a pang of jealousy. She seems to sense something, though, like a dog with an intruder. She orders her cronies away, a sneer curling onto her full lips.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" she calls, her voice echoing in the corridor, echoing, echoing; thrown, bouncing around the stone walls. The twins see her hand's grip on her wand tighten, so that her knuckles are practically white.

"Go!" Gideon hisses, elbowing him. He protests silently, but his Gryffindor courage overwhelms him.

She shrieks when she sees him, the blood traitor; not a good sign, Fabian thinks.

"_Prewett_!" her wand is at his throat. "What the fuck are you doing here, scum?"

"Saying hi to you," he replies, biting his lip.

This gesture is not unnoticed by Bella.

"You _fancy_ me, don't you, wittle Prewett baby?" she taunts, twirling her wand in her fingers, shrieking delightfully in his hurt. "Aw, pwoor wittle Prewett! Pwoor wittle bwood traitor! Your big sister is not here to _pwotect_ you?"

"Leave Molly out of this!" Gideon jumps out from behind the statue, unable to resist the temptation. "Shut up, Black!"

Her grey eyes widen, filled with malice; she sneers.

"Duel me, then," she shoots in her normal voice.

"Right on," Gideon cracks his knuckles. "Me and Fab against you, aye?"

"_What_?" Fabian's mouth is hanging open.

Bella cackles, and it's horrible for him to hear. The next words, he'll **never** forget.

"I would have _never_ considered any of you scum, you stupid boy!" she spits. "Don't you see, babies? The world is filled with hatred and prejudice, and you _shan't _try to stop this! I say aye to the Dark Lord – and I _shall_ be his most faithful servant!"

She mutters some Dark spell, and walks away, while the brothers are temporarily blinded by the wounds over their eyes that have emerged from her wand.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey was not the only who was unhappy that night.

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><p><strong>Well... not my best, but writing BellaFabian was interesting... Definitely destined to end badly :P <strong>

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed, favourited, and/or alerted, made me really happy! :) **

**Next is: AveryAmelia (Avery, the Death Eater, and Amelia Bones). **

**After that: MaryRegulus **


	8. AveryAmelia

_Pairing: AveryAmelia_

**No matter what **

Somewhere inside him, Avery knows that he's a shame to the family.

He's a Death Eater, mind you – he's supposed to love respectable pureblooded girls – emphasizing on _respectable_.

Well, he would say that Amelia – Bones – is the exact opposite of that.

She's Ravenclaw – that in itself is a crime to him – she's a **blood traitor**.

And strangely, the worse is that he doesn't give a damn.

He doesn't give a damn if he's a fucking Death Eater, and she's a Ministry official.

She's pretty, in that delicate way of hers, and simply... perfect.

She's good – too good for him.

He's never been brave – who said Slytherins were brave? – and contents himself to watching her morosely.

But no matter what, Avery cannot deny that he's a blood traitor, a shame to the pureblood line of Avery.

(And no matter what, he knows he'll always love her, and so he stays away to not tempt himself – but he wishes still.)

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><p><strong>Hmm. I do feel a tiny bit sorry for Avery :P<strong>

**Next up is MaryRegulus - sorry for the wait.**

**Please read and review! :)**


	9. MaryRegulus

_Pairing: MaryRegulus _

**Mercy**

_There's pain, as her body contorts into a truly sick arch. She screams, but no one cares. The boys laugh and leave her, there in the dungeons. _

Mary shivers. Her hands are still tied, she can feel them; her mind is drifting, though... Drifting ever so slowly.

"_What_ in Salazar's name?"

That voice – she's heard it before. It's soft, a boy's voice – half stunned, half horrified.

"Go away," she croaks, and wants to wince at how sickly her voice sounds.

There's a shuffling of feet and a low murmur, and Mary feels her hands being untied – by magic.

She's getting suspicious. She shudders.

"You're awake?"

She decides to try her luck – she opens her eyes.

She starts to scream, or try to, anyways; it's muffled in a second.

Regulus Black's slight hand is over her mouth, a sneer on his full lips, his face unreadable.

"Shut up," he hisses. "I saved you, ungrateful Mudblood."

She kicks at him, ignoring the draining feeling in her chest. She tries to bite the hand over her mouth.

"Listen," Black snaps. He's ignoring the pain, of where Mary had hurt him. "Listen, Macdonald. Avery, Mulciber, and Snape were hurting you with some Dark magic - heard Mulciber's drunken yells in the common room. They're friends of mine, see – but I was in detention with McGonagall, so I didn't get invited." He pauses, pursues his lips. "I decided to see if it was true. It was – and so I untied you. We're in a broom closet, by the way – I think that was Avery's doing."

She does notice that they're cramped in a broom closet. Together.

_**Awkward**_– she can imagine Lily and Marlie chanting it.

"Why'd you save me?" she says coldly. "I don't need help from Slytherins – especially not ones who call me Mudblood."

Black laughs softly. "I'm Slytherin, Mudblood, but not merciless. I'm not a monster."

She stares at him; him with his dark grey eyes so similar to Sirius's, his hair well-combed, his skin flawlessly dark, his skinny frame. "_You're_ a monster," she says quietly. "You want to be a Death Eater, Black; you want to join Malfoy and your cousin and the others, right? You want to join the killing, you want to get rid of the impurities of our world, like me." The last words, she spits at his face.

He looks as if he's restraining himself very hard to not hit her. He glares. "You're lucky, Mudblood. The Dark Lord will never desire any of you filth, while I will be off serving him. The freak. For the rest of my life, I'll be his servant. You think I want to become a monster? You think I _want_ to kill innocent people?"

"I do," she retorts hotly, "I _do_."

"You're wrong. I don't. So shut your filthy mouth, or I'll hand you over to Avery and Mulciber."

Mary laughs. "No, you wouldn't. You just practically poured your heart out to me about your aversion to joining You-Know-Who's cause, and now you say that you'll hand me over to your Death Eater wannabe friends? You're an idiot, Regulus Black."

He has a tiny smile. "Clever of you, Mudblood," he says cynically. "Fine. I'll have mercy on you. I'll bring you to the hospital wing. Happy, Macdonald?"

"Prove it."

Black smirks and takes her hands, pushing her against the wall, making a few cardboard boxes tumble. They can hear mice squeaking indignantly at their feet. Before Mary realises what's happening, he presses his lips to hers.

"Better?" he snickers. "Better, Mudblood?"

She stares, again.

"You just kissed me, Black," she's confused. "Me, the Muggle-born. The one you call Mudblood."

"You're absolutely _endearing_, Macdonald," he rolls his eyes. "Yes, I just kissed a Mudblood. Maybe I should add it to my list of achievements, yes? Good thing it's the weekend; now it's off to the hospital wing for you."

She allows him to bring her there, using the secluded corridors so that he shan't be seen by his friends. Later, she will wonder why exactly she found kissing Regulus Black a pleasant experience.

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><p><strong>I wrote this several times before I got this one, and I think it turned out OK enough. I actually finished the current version a few days ago, but I was too lazy :P <strong>

**Next we'll have Sirius and Marlene, though I can't really guarantee. **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	10. SiriusMarlene

_Pairing: SiriusMarlene _

**Dog boy **

It's a hot summer day; all to be done in the Order of the Phoenix's Headquarters has been done, and the remaining members who have not gone home are lying on their stomachs on mattresses strewn haphazardly over the floor by James and Sirius, Marlene McKinnon included.

She fans herself with the latest edition of _Witch Weekly_; it's bizarre to think that life is actually still going on, outside the ever-present war effort. In fact, Lily, Alice, and her spent the whole previous evening reading articles on hairdressing, while Fabian, Gideon, and Frank laughed at them.

There's the sound of someone plopping onto an old, holey mattress; she turns and sees that it's Sirius, panting, his tongue out like a dog's.

She laughs at him; Sirius can't help but notice the amount of skin of her long, thin legs like a gazelle's, exposed by her miniskirt. He shakes his head; she's only a colleague, she's only a friend, she's only a colleague, she's only a friend.

"Hey, Dog Boy," she shoots lazily, still sprawled over her mattress, waving half-heartedly. "Where were you? Out drinking with James, Remus, and Peter, again?"

He waggles a finger at her. "Now, now, Marlie," he murmurs, "I shouldn't tell you. You know that Lily doesn't like to hear about James drinking in Merlin-knows-which-bar. Too afraid that he'll do something crazy."

Marlene nods. "James and alcohol are not to be mixed. And I gather," she smirks, "that the answer to my question is yes?"

He smiles sheepishly. "What Lily doesn't know won't hurt her, Marlie."

"Dog Boy," Marlene raises an eyebrow, "What did I say about calling me 'Marlie'?"

Sirius comes a bit closer; she receives confirmation for her previous questions; there's Firewhiskey on his breath, definitely. She's drunken enough to recognize its distinctive smell. "Well," he shrugs, "You _do_ call me 'Dog Boy'."

She rolls her eyes and blushes. "That's different, moron."

He grins and can't help thinking about how she's right. The full moon was last week, and they still transform, to help Remus. It's harder, now, than when they were teenagers; Remus says it'll get harder in the years to come. Sirius hopes that he, James, and Peter will still be there to keep him company then.

If not, well – he doesn't want to think about it. He's busy enough living day to day in this crazy war.

"Yet another of girl charmed by _moi_," he teases her, and ignores her offended look.

At least Marlene, _Marlie's_ still here. With him.

That's enough, for now.

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><p><strong>I finally managed to write this :) <strong>

**Next up is GideonMarlene, after that is AndromedaTed! **

**Thanks for all those reviewers, especially Colin Creevey :) **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	11. GideonMarlene

_Pairing: GideonMarlene _

**We knew **

The fire can't warm her, even though Lily does her best to keep it well-stocked. Alice's near, handing her tissues every moment or so. Marlene's long blond hair is dishevelled; her blue eyes are red-rimmed. She blows her nose yet again as she stares off into the distance.

"The worst," she says thickly, "the worst is that, damn, we knew. We knew the consequences of this bloody war, we knew not to get to close... We knew."

Little Harry and Neville are lying in their cots in the corner; Lily runs her fingers through Harry's tuft of black hair, so like James's, absentmindedly. It's unbelievable to Marlene that such things still exist; babies, happiness, motherly love; all she can think is Gideon, Gideon, _Gideon_.

Gideon Prewett is dead.

It was in the Daily Prophet, in the early morning; she saw when she read it during breakfast. She choked on her cereal; she sprayed milk from her nose. Gideon had left the previous night for a mission, top-secret even within the Order; it turned out that the Death Eaters had ambushed him and his brother.

After that, she feels numb. She's felt like that for most of the day, and then she begins crying.

She's Marlene McKinnon; she's not supposed to cry. She's above such things.

Yet, she's cried more than she's ever cried before, in this blasted war; and this is the first time she's cried for over two hours, hiccoughing and sobbing and sometimes even curled up in a ball.

Somehow, she feels that it's worth it, shedding so many tears over the lost Prewett brother.

Gideon Prewett wasn't just another guy; she's loved him for so long that she feels that she'd lost part of herself when he went.

She looks up finally; Lily and Alice, her loyal friends, are still awake, watching her silently. There are tears running down Alice's face as the shorter woman hugs one of her best friends tightly, as if she could lose Marlene, too, at any moment.

"You'll be fine, Marlene," Alice says softly.

Marlene jerks her head. "I loved him," she whispers, _hisses_, "I loved him, but I was too scared to say so. I was a _coward_."

"You're _not_," Alice and Lily say in unison.

She manages a tiny, grim smile. "You're nice, but I think I'm right." Getting up, she adds, "I'm going out now. It's pathetic of me to sit here crying over Gideon when I should be helping the Order more, getting my vengeance over those who killed him. Thanks for being there."

"Marlene-"

She doesn't listen. She doesn't listen to her friends; two weeks later, her and her family are killed by Death Eaters, led by Travers. It's all her fault; that's her last conscious thought. If she hadn't been out too late for the umpteenth night, she would've remembered to put up the protective spells. If she hadn't drunken all that Firewhiskey, she would've not been such an easy prey.

She _shouldn't_ have immersed herself in the war effort, in her vengeance.

But really, Marlene McKinnon wasn't one for listening; needless to say, the consequences were dire. _Not listening_, her fatal flaw, cost her life.

* * *

><p><strong>So... No happily ever after much? :P Poor, poor Marlene... <strong>

**Next up is AndromedaTed :) **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	12. AndromedaTed

_Pairing: AndromedaTed _

**I can only run **

"I can only run."

Ted shakes his head vehemently. He loves this girl, but he can't let her do this; rid her of her family. They may be evil, they may be blood extremists, but they're her family, bloody hell. "You can't do that, Andromeda. Your parents would-"

"I know," she snaps, the red of her cheeks contrasting with the perfect paleness of her skin. "I _know_, and I don't _care_."

"But they're your family; be reasonable."

"Shut _up_, Ted!" She snarls, heavily-lidded cocoa eyes fierce, long-lashed, caramel curls seemingly jumping at him. She ignores the tightening of her throat as she vents out her frustration at him, her boyfriend, her Ted. Her voice trembles very slightly. "Shut up, Ted, OK? I've been longing to get out of this life for years. You just ask Malfoy! I told him, when we were children. Every generation of pureblood children is the same. Turned mindless by our parents, our duty to preserve the so-called purity of blood. You know what? There's no purity of blood! There's only good and bad, and my family, bloody hell, is the worst of the worst! This is the _perfect _excuse."

Her chest falls and rises rapidly, and Ted can only think about how much, really, she resembles her older sister, though she'd surely murder him if he said so. He shrugs, puts a hand on her shoulder, wordlessly; surprisingly, she doesn't push him away.

"Why?"

She stares at him; unknowingly, she licks her lips. "One has to make sacrifices for love," she says softly.

"And _I'm _worth it?" He caresses her cheek, responding in the same soft tone.

Andromeda grins; she laughs. Ted frowns.

"Of course you're worth it! You're not letting that shit You-Know-Who's sprouting get to you, aren't you?"

He shakes his head. "No. I know your family's... evil, but you won't... miss them?"

"After I run away," she murmurs, "they won't be my family anymore, Ted. They only wanted me to continue the Black line. Well, I'm not going to be another pawn in their twisted life. I won't miss them, them and their damned beliefs. That's a promise."

Even as she says it, they both know that it's a lie. But following Andromeda running away after the end of the seventh year to be with her Ted, the Black family turn their backs on her; they disown her, erase her very existence from Walburga Black's family tree. It doesn't matter, whether she misses them or not, anymore; they certainly don't miss her.

It's not time to dwell on this, anyways; it's rather time for Andromeda _Tonks_ to begin building her new life with her husband.

* * *

><p><strong>I love writing Andromeda and Ted, they're so cute together :) A pity Ted got killed off :P <strong>

**Next up is... frankly, I don't know. In total, we'll have thirty drabbles - if I didn't say this before. **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	13. PeterAlice

_Pairing: PeterAlice _

**Last straw **

Going to Alice's wedding is not exactly good for Peter's ego.

He's loved her for years; she's been the only person he's ever fancied, in all these years; but he's not like Severus Snape, _not at all_. Unlike Snape, who threw away his chance with Lily, Peter had never stood a chance.

There had always been bigger and handsomer boys; _better_ boys for her. There had been Benjy Fenwick, Caradoc Dearborn, Sirius, Remus – Merlin, even James! And the last was the one, it turns out – Frank Longbottom is the man she officially loves.

The man, Peter thinks, punching the wall, she'll always love.

He's never had more than a grain of hope, really. The chubby little Peter _paled_ in comparison with these boys – either extremely smart, like the Ravenclaw Caradoc Dearborn, or athletic, like James, or nice, like Remus, or good-looking, like Benjy Fenwick and Remus.

Peter, the only thing that made him stand out was his stupidity.

He's not bitter, he thinks, he's really _not_. But maybe, maybe he's wrong; maybe this was the last straw, Alice's marriage to Frank. Maybe the thing that makes people crack was not a longing for power or psychopathic tendencies.

Maybe Peter cracks because of something else; it's called heartbreak, loneliness, inferiority.

Human beings think they're strong, but they're actually not; they're more fragile than they'll _ever_ let you know.

* * *

><p><strong>And I'm back! <strong>

**Poor Peter, I kind-of feel sorry for him :) **

**Thanks for the suggestions from Colin Creevey - hope you like this! Next up is RabastanAndromeda - after that is Rodolphus/Bellatrix. **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted!**


	14. AndromedaRabastan

_Pairing: AndromedaRabastan _

**Mysteries**

Rabastan Lestrange is seventeen going on eighteen, in his seventh year, when he discovers that love is uncontrollable; that you can't help, really, who you fall for, even if she's a Muggle sympathiser and _far_ too nice for a Black.

He observes her from a distance, sometimes; other times they speak, of the future, of their plans, of their dreams. She doesn't seem to judge him for wanting to serve the Dark Lord; but he's seen her eyes narrow and her mouth set in disgust whenever he brings up the subject.

So, he doesn't. He'll do _anything_ for Andromeda Black.

She's far brighter than Viviana, the girl he's set to marry; she's far pleasanter than most of the girls he knows, who only love him for his reputation and his dark good looks. She can be twins with Bellatrix, if one doesn't look too closely; if one looks past her curls, caramel and chocolate and thousands of other shades of brown, and her long-lashed brown eyes, that is.

Yet, she's so different from her sister, it's exalting. He stares at her to put together the puzzle pieces; how a girl from such a family can turn out so different. Most pureblood girls are either skittish, like Viviana, or downright bitches, like Narcissa.

Andromeda doesn't fit in any of those categories.

She's a mystery, and he likes it. He thinks of this as he kisses her when he's drunk at one of Bella's parties, and Bellatrix's crowing with delight; perhaps her indifferent-to-the-pureblood-manner-sister will be fall for Rabastan?

It tastes good. Her lips move against his for a second before she pushes him away and runs, quick as lightning, out of the Slytherin common room. The entire group of partying students watch her go.

And then they go back to partying; because they're _Slytherins_, and comforting is not exactly their specialty. So Rabastan sways in a dazed, drunken motion, watching the world spin faster and faster, and sinks to the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm actually pretty proud of this :) Rabastan is very fun to write... I think I like him better than old Roddy. <strong>

**Next up is RodolphusBellatrix, after that is IgorEmmeline. **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted!**


	15. RodolphusBellatrix

_Pairing: RodolphusBellatrix _

**Convenience**

They're another of those pureblood couples who only marry for convenience.

Their marriage had been decided by their parents, long ago; Bellatrix Black, now Lestrange, had known, for her entire life, that she would marry the weak bastard that was Rodolphus Lestrange; Rodolphus Lestrange had known for his entire life that he would be marrying the violent, mentally unstable, but soso beautiful Bellatrix Black.

Neither of them loved each other, but it wasn't exactly the custom for young purebloods to rebel against their parents.

So they stand, her in a scarlet dress, emphasizing the paleness of her skin against the bright red of her adornment; him in a black tuxedo, his face impassive but obeying, his sleeves conveniently spelled to stay rolled down to not show his Dark Mark.

They stand there, on the altar, and prepare to take the wedding vows from the priest.

A wedding is a union between two souls, two souls willing to do anything for each other; a pureblood _arranged_ marriage, however, is very much different. Its purpose is not to immortalize a couple's love; it is to keep two bloodlines alive, and to save them from the dirty blood of lesser beings.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Roddy and Bella, forced into a loveless marriage :P <strong>

**Next up is IgorEmmeline, after that, I don't know. **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	16. IgorEmmeline

_Pairing: IgorEmmeline _

**Traitors both ways**

She wants to hate him, really.

He's a Death Eater, and he's a traitor, and a coward, and a thousand of other things; he's unctuous and a blood supremacist and a flatterer at his best. He's arrogant and a prick and has a weakness for pretty women. He likes the Dark Arts and likes to _play_; he's an opportunist and an idiot and why does she even bother letting him into her flat?

But he's also the father of their child; don't ask, the result of a (what they thought, at least) one-night stand. He's the man who visits sometimes, brings gifts for their Elena; he's the one who makes her laugh by producing spells from his wand; she can't deny that Elena loves him.

Emmeline also can't deny that she loves him, too.

It's a strange thing, love, she thinks; she thought that she loved Fabian, but she was wrong; she should hate Igor, because it's his comrades, after all, who caused the deaths of Gid and Fabian, two of her best friends; but she can't, really, and she admits that she misses him when he's away for months at the time.

And it's also hard, doing the right thing; she screams _traitor_, over and over, because who sleeps with a Death Eater, for Merlin's sake? Should she just break with him and get it over with – or should she stay with him and eventually be discovered, to be shunned by her very friends?

These questions run through her mind as she yells at him, as he snaps at her and sneers that very annoying sneer; as Elena sleeps peacefully, unaware that her parents' already-fragile relationship is falling at the seams because of a certain Dark Lord's fall.

She must be evil, but she wishes that Voldemort was still at large. She wishes that things were back the way they were, for eleven years; she wishes that she can choose between the man she loves and the friends she's had for _forever_.

Gryffindors, she thinks wryly, burying her head into her pillow to muffle the sounds of her sobs as he slams the door and leaves, were always good at making the choices between good and bad, but never good at making choices for life's trivial matters.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, Emmeline, you love him :) <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	17. MollyArthur

_Pairing: MollyArthur _

**Anytime, mollywobbles **

He's bruised and tired and cranky once he finally escapes Apollyon Pringle and his damn cane.

"I hate him," he mutters, wincing in pain as his knee hits the hard stone of the portrait hole. "I hate that Pringle-"

"Arthur! Arthur!" cries a girl's voice, and there she is: Molly Prewett, concerned hazel eyes on him and his bruised body, red-red hair tumbling down her back. She runs to him and caresses his cheek. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Arthur looks down. "Pringle kind of... knocked me about."

"Come here!" Molly says in a tone that averts all argument. "You need to sit down."

She takes her hand, feeling so little and so warm in his big cold ones, and leads him to the best armchair; the spot beside the fire. It crackles; Arthur and Molly watch the flames lick the firewood gracefully, lethally, as they let the fire warm them.

"You want a paste for the bruises?" she asks unexpectedly. "You can't go walking about tomorrow like this."

He smiles at her and yawns, a jaw-splitting yawn. "Gladly."

Molly disappears into the girls' dormitories and returns in an instant.

"Here," she says, dabbing it here and there on him. He leans back in the chair, eyes closed. It does feel good – maybe he'll ask her how to make some. Mum and Dad will gladly take it at home; Bilius is forever hurting himself in some harebrained scheme of his. "Better?"

"_Much_ better," he reassures her.

Molly frowns and bites her lip. Someday, he'll tell her how cute she looks, like that – maybe someday soon, they'll be married to each other. "I'm sorry," she tells him softly, looking at him in the eye. Arthur's eyes are of a very nice sky blue, she notices. "You wouldn't have been caught if I-"

He puts a finger to his lips. "Shh, don't you worry," he says, reaching out to ruffle her soft hair. He blushes as she smiles at him. "Anytime, mollywobbles. Anytime. I love you, don't I?"

* * *

><p><strong>Aww. Molly and Arthur are so very cute :) <strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted!**


	18. NottApril

_Pairing: NottApril _

**Fate, arranged marriages, and love **

Sylvain Nott is very intelligent, thank you very much.

He knows that he has to marry into a respectable family to keep the bloodline alive, for instance; he knows for a fact that he's going marry Isabella Mulciber. He's known this since the age of five, when his parents sat him down and explained to him the importance of marrying a good woman able to bear him with many heirs.

Since the age of five, he's been proud of this fact; or his mind's accepted it so profoundly that he doesn't see an alternative, until now.

But he's older, presently, in the year of 1972 of our Lord; he's eighteen, and he's in love with April Rosier, fellow Slytherin. Her blood's just as clean as his, so there's no danger there – but there is danger involved in disobeying your parents, especially if you're the child of blood supremacists.

Don't get him wrong: Sylvain's not a coward, and he'll never be. But he does believe in fate, and he believes that he has to resign himself to accept it – which is why he sticks to his Death Eater status long after he lost interest, long after he lost all loyalty towards the Dark Lord.

This time shouldn't be any different. This time, the thing he's going to lose is merely the girl he loves.

_Merely_.

* * *

><p><strong>Nott is one of my favourite characters - I gave him his first name, since it wasn't mentioned :) He's Theodore Nott's dad, in case you couldn't tell. <strong>

**Anyway, next up is AndromedaLucius :) **

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted! **


	19. LuciusAndromeda

_Pairing: AndromedaLucius _

**Under a full moon**

Normally, Lucius would not be outside at midnight, during a full moon – normally, Lucius would be fast asleep, because who likes to lose their beauty sleep?

However, he's here for a specific reason – and with an established goal. Tonight, he's going to corner Andromeda Black about Ted Tonks, because them, the Slytherins, they've suspected something for months; and Lucius is merely a spokesperson.

Yes; this is not because of his crush on her, right?

He crouches behind an ancient, gnarled tree, watching the Mudblood creep back into the castle, watching Andromeda peer at her reflection in a nearby pond, her index finger tracing endless circles in the pristine, dark blue water.

"What are you doing here?"

He steps out of his hiding spot, making her jump. She turns, narrows her eyes when she recognizes him; she bares her teeth, an uncanny resemblance to her dear sister, and puts her hands on her hips. "I should ask you the same thing, Lucius," she says.

He swallowed and puts his hands in his pockets, blushing. He's glad it's dark, very glad. He glares at her; anger is the only emotion that is allowed tonight. "Well, I asked first," he says irritably. "I saw you snogging Tonks, the Mudblood."

"Don't call him that!" she snaps, chocolate brown curls flying at him.

"Calling him 'Mudblood' doesn't change anything," he retorts, lifting an eyebrow and smirking. "It doesn't change what he is. Would you prefer that I call your lover boy dearest 'scum' instead? My mouth can do many wonders, you know."

She bristles and looks as if she's hesitating between hexing him and punching him. "Shut up," she says viciously. "Shut up, Malfoy! You and your band of friends – you think you're so great, don't you, just because you're all destined to serve You-Know-Who! Well, I actually know the truth. Ted knows the truth, too. The Dark Lord is actually a madman and a psychopath and a murderer, and so are all of you who desire to serve him-"

"What about Regulus Black?" he asks, stepping forward. He can feel the heat radiating from her. "What about your favourite cousin, eh? We all know, us Slytherins, that he's going to go to the Dark Lord – because, clearly, the Dark Lord is not taking a Gryffindor blood traitor. Or are you too much of a scum sympathiser that you forgot everything that matters to us?"

When she speaks again, her voice trembles. "I don't give a shit," she snaps, "I don't give a shit, because you're all vile, and stupid, and moronic – and you don't know anything about me, OK? You don't know about anything important in life – no, all my life, I've been taught about money, and pureblood reputation, and keeping the bloodline. I've heard about joining the Dark Lord and working towards the greater good. But hell – I've never heard about love from any of your rich, worthless mouths."

"Really?" he challenges. "You've heard of marriages-"

"Marriages!" she bristles at him, jabbing a finger. "Arranged marriages, you must mean, Malfoy! Well, you've all had arranged marriages, the lot of you – you want to know why I've never heard about love and bravery and other important things from you lot? Because you've never lived it – you've never had it! I rather want something different. I love Ted – that's what matters."

"You sound like Juliet," he says cynically, sneering at her.

"Yes, I love him," her voice breaks. She sniffles. "And I hate you! All of you! I'd thought you'd sympathise, after all I did for you when we were little – but, no, you take everything your dad beat you for and you listen to him! You listened to the bastard!"

He's torn between comforting her and scorning her. He chooses scorning, because he's horrid at comforting, and he should hate her – he may be confronting the girl he loves in the Forbidden Forest, but he still has a reputation to keep. "Well, I'm better off than you," he shoots. "You'll be poor as a Weasley once your Aunt Walburga blasts you off – no one from your present life will ever speak to you again, beside the Mudblood. Wouldn't you prefer to stay in our world?"

She shoots him a very cold look. "Bye," she says so coldly he thinks she's Bellatrix for an instance. "I don't need your shit."

With that, she stomps away, cursing all the way.

He watches her. He feels a lump raising in his throat, but he stays strong, tells himself that she's stupid and immature and conceited, not worth it – he stays there, staring at himself in the pond, and thinks that maybe some of the things she said were true.

* * *

><p><strong>I'd ship this if I didn't like LuciusNarcissa so much :) This is the nineteenth, so there are eleven drabbles left :)<strong>

**Please read and review, especially if you favourited/alerted!**


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